Picture frame and method of making same



May 12, 1931. E. J. BARNARD PICTURE FRAME AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 24, 1930 INVENTOR Y 25.; ATTORNEI Z May 1931.

E. J. BARNARD PICTURE FRAME AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME 3 Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb. 24, 1930 wuqv ggmg iu INVENTOR BY 2 v firomvz y 1931- E..J. BARNARD 1,805,436

PICTURE FRAME AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Feb. 24, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR Patented "May 12," .1 931' unresoerases EDMUND J. BARNARD, or cnivrBa-rnen,nassaonusnrrs, ASSIGNOB. TO BOSTON BOOK rmnmecomranr, me, or CAMBRIDGE,,MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or MASSACHUSETTS rIorURErRAr/m ANn METHo'n or MAKINe-sAivrEf Application filed Februaryfi, 1930. Serial No. 430,661.

This invention relates to picture frames and to processes of making articles ofthis character. r 1 i 1 At the present time most picture frames v are made of wood. Usually the woodis orna; mented 111 some manner, asby carving, gild-.

ing, or coloring in various ways. In some cases the wood frame is covered with leather which is'embossed or tooled to produce attractive effects. Much hand labor is required in-making frames by these methods, and the nature of'the material used'is sometimeslan objectionable feature because of the tendency of the wood to shrink and swellwith changes in atmospheric humidity. 7

The present lnventlon aims toimprove both the methods of making and {also the constructionof picture'frames witha viewtoreducing the expense of" manufacture of articles of this character, and more especially with" the idea of producing a superior product;

Thefnature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel featuresfwill be particularly 1 pointed out in the appended claims.

Inthe drawings,

raw material which preferably are used in practicing the present invention Fig. 3 is a perspective View, partly in cross section, illustrating one step in the process of manufacture Fig.4 is a plan view illustrating a further step in thepresent method; I

Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views, partly in cross section, illustrating additional steps I in the methodg and frame,

This invention proposes to make use of, certain characteristics of a grade of fibre board known commercially asthermoplastic board. Such material is hard and firm at normal temperatures, but softens sufficiently at elevated temperatures to be moldable, as

for example,'-from 17 5t0 200 F. lti sread ily obtainable in sheetsof dimensions suitable for'the manufacture of picture frames. In makingframes of the common sizes used for photographs andthe like, I prefer to use a boardiof this kind having a thickness of ap-.

proximately oneeighth of an inch, or slightly more. Naturally the dimensions of the sheets used will vary. with the sizes of the frames to be made.

In 'a typical process the first step consists in impressing the design, or features of it, for

thelface or front of, a picture frame into the surface of theboard 52,,v Fig. 1.- Economiesin production can be realized by making the,

frames in groups or sets so graded in size that the impressing, molding, or embossingoperation'can be performed simultaneously on a series or groupof frame sections arranged one within another. Such a step is shown in Fig.

3, the sections for the fronts of three frames being indicated, respectively, at A, B and 0, these sectlons being arranged in a nested relationship. The particular designs-shown in this-figure are intended to represent the graining of'certain'leathers, and these designs are impressed or embossed in the surface of the sheet 2 by afsuitable die. The embossing'or nnpressingoperation can be performed in an c "ordinary press having provision for heating F igures 1 and 2 are plan vlews ofboards of the die so that the temperature of the board will be raised sufficiently during the impressing or embossing operation to make the mate 1 rial take the impression properly. V In some cases theentire design may be im-c pressed on'the boardin a single operation, a 7 butin making many designs it is preferable 7 to make the ground work or some other part of the design in one step and later to impress or emboss other features of thedesign at a second operation; For example, in making a frame; intended to imitate a leather covered frame,;the,-nature of the graining or design.

probably would besuch that a single impres sion'only wouldbenecessary to produce the desired surface structure or formation. Of

ten,however, it is desirable to add figures or linessimulating the embossed or tooling effects which often are used on leather covered fram and t is u lly preferable o add rated from each other.

these effects in a second embossing or stamp- I ing operation.

Fig. a shows the board 2 embossed as shown in Fig. 3, hut'with lines 3 and figures d impressed into the embossed areas. These lines and figures can all be impressed simultaneous:- ly into the entire set or group of frame sections by a suitable die. This operation. also may be used to impress gold leaf, either real or imitation, or metal foil of any other de sired character, into the embossed surfaces along the lines 3 and figures 4;. lit is simply necessary for this purpose to place a-sheet of gold leaf or foil over the board 2 prior to bringing the stamping die down upon it, whereupon the raised elements of the design carry the metal foil into the embossed surfaces. Due tothe fact that the dieis heated and the thermoplastic material becomes tacky when heated,.the foil or gold leaf will adhere securely to thosesurfaces into which it is forced. After the die has been raised the remaining foil or leaf can be brushed off from those areas to which it has not been firmly attached durlng the stamping operation. It

will'be understood that no attempt has been made in Fig. 4 to show the complete ornamentation of the surfaces of the sections A, B andC.

At-this stage of the process the board may be out or divided in any way to separate the sections A, B and C from each other. Preferably this operation is performed in a press with a die which cuts through the board 2 along the inner edges of the sections A, B and C, respectively, trimming; these edges to a finished form,but leaving the sections of em cessive width. In other words, the surplus stock which separates adjacent sections A, B and C is left projecting from the outer margins of the sections after they have been sepa- V Thi. is clearly shown in Fig. 5 where the surplus marginal stock is indicated at a, b and 0, respectively, on the three frame sections.

Rear frame sections to cooperate with the respective front sections preferably are cut out of another sheet 6, Fig. 2, like the sheet 2. the sheet being cut on approximately the dotted lines in this figure to form three rear frame sections. A, B and C. These rear sections are designedto cooperate with the respective front sections A, B and C. Each rear section then is secured permanently to the back of its respective front section in any convenient manner, cement or glue ordinarily being employed. A book binders glue is entirely satisfactory for this purpose.

I In order to leave the usual head or ledge 7 at the inner margin of the frame, the section A? is cut to-larger inside dimensions than the frontsection Aso that when these parts are secured together, as shown inFig. 6, the inner margin of the front section willflproiect beyond the inner edge. of the rear section.

The same practice is followed in assembling the other frame sections.

The assembled frame members next are trimmed to their final or finished outside dimensions. The trimming operation may con veniently be performed in a press with a cutting die. This step of the process removes the marginal extension a from the frame and simultaneously trims the outer edges of both sections so that the finished edges of the two sections are flush and substantially continnous with each other. Because of the nature of the thermoplastic board from which the sections are made this final trimming operation tends to close the crack or seam between the two sections and make the outer edge substantially continuous. It also avoids any difficulty in registering the two sections which would be encountered if the sections were made independently to their final dimensions before being assembled.

The thermoplastic board which preferably is used in this process has a rather disagreeable black color entirely unsuitable for this particular purpose. Consequently, I prefer to apply a coating of coloring: material having the desired characteristics to the embossed surface of the sheet 2 while it is in the condition shown in Fig. 3. This can,

.of the same size can be stacked and the trimmed edges coated or colored. In some cases the rear surfaces of the frames are completely covered with a cloth, paper, or other backing so that it may or may not be necessary. to coat these surfaces. The structural characteristics of the finished frame, so far as its essential features are concerned, will be clear from an'inspection of Figs. 4 and 7.

The frames produced by this method. are very strong and rigid, being entirely devoid of joints except the glued jointbetween the front and rear sections. Since the thermoplastic board of which these sections are made is highly waterproof, there is practically no tendency for the frame to shrink, swell, warp or check with changes in atmospheric humidity. The method of manufacture is very economical as compared with prior processes, and it lends itself readily to the production of an almost endless variety lOO ing picture frames which consists in impressing in a board of thermoplastic material designs for a plurality of front frame sections arranged in nested relationship, and'subsequently cutting said board to form individue al frame sections therefrom, eachsection bearing a designand each having a complete frame outline. V

2. That improvement in processes of making picture frames which consists in impressmg in a board of thermoplastic material designs for a plurality of front frame sections arranged in nestedrelationship, and subsequently cutting saidboard to separate said =1 sections from each other, securinga rear frame section to the back of one of'sald impressed front sections, and trimmingthe outer edges simultaneously of both sections so secured together.

3. That improvement in processes of mak+-' mg picture frames which consistsin 1mpress-- ing in a board of thermoplastic material designs for a plurality of front frame sections arranged in nested relationship, subsequently a cutting saidboard to form individual frame sections therefrom, each section bearing a design and each having a complete frame outline, and coloringthe trimmed edges of both sections.

4. That improvement in processes vof; mak

in picture frames which consists-inimpressing in a board of thermoplastic material de signs for a plurality offrontframesections arranged in nested relationship, subsequently cutting said board to separate saidsections from each other, and during said cutting operation trimming the frame sect-ions to sub stantially their final inside dimensions but leaving said sections of excessive overall width.

5. That improvement in processes of making picture frames which consists in impressing in a board of thermoplast c material designs for aplurahty of front frame sections arran ed in nested relationship, SillOSGClL16I1t-j 1y cutting said board to separate said sectlo ns 1 from each other, during saidcutting operation trimming the frame sections to subtantially their final inside dimensions but lea-ving said sections of excessive overall Width,

securing a rear frame section to one of said front sections, said rear section having inside dimensions slightly largerthan themsidedimensions of the front section to whichiit is 5 secured, whereby a margin of the front section is left pro ecting beyond theinslde edge of the rear section, and subsequent-lytrim ming both sections simultaneously to the (1.9-,

sired outside dimensions.

6. That improvement 1n processes of mak ing picture frames WhlCh cons sts in embossin'nested relationship on a board of thermoplastic material while the material is at an elevated temperature, ornamenting the embossedl surfaces so produced, and at some stage ofthe-process cutting said board to form individual. front frame sections each bearing an embossed design. I

7; That, improvement 1n processes of mak ing picture frames which consists in emboss ing the front sections for a plurality of frames in nested relationship on a board of thermoplastic material while the material is at an elevated temperature, stamping design feaof thermoplastic board embossed to give it a surface structure unlike that of the original board and having metal leaf stamped therein in lines and areas forming parts of a design,

said front section having. a ground work of a color different from that of the original material. 7' r i i i 9. A picture frame comprising front and rear sections made from thermoplastic board and; secured rigidly together, the outside edges of said sections being flush and substantially continuous with each other and the inside edge ofthe rear section being ofi'setoutwardly with reference to that of the front section, said front section having a design impressed the-rein andbeing of a color different from that ofthe orginal material.

JOHNSON BARNARD.

mg the front sections for a plurality of frames l 

